UAW Leaders Approve Tentative Deal With GM: Vote Now Goes To Workers

DETROIT (WWJ) - UAW local leaders have approved their tentative deal with General Motors and sent it on to the company's 52,000 manufacturing employees for a ratification vote.

The UAW's tentative agreement with General Motors includes the same pattern that the union worked out at Fiat Chrysler...but there are a few extras at GM, which is a richer company reports WWJ AutoBeat Reporter Jeff Gilbert.

According to a release from the UAW:

UAW-GM members will have significant wage increases, signing bonuses and improved health care under the new Tentative Agreement with General Motors that was overwhelmingly approved by the local union leaders on the UAW National GM Council on Wednesday. The Tentative Agreement secures investments in 12 different sites and creates or retains 3,300 jobs over the contract period, adding another $1.9 billion in commitments from GM in addition to $6.4 billion in previously secured investments.

The Tentative Agreement will now go before the more than 52,000 UAW-GM members for a vote.

"We believe this agreement gives UAW-GM members significant raises and stronger benefits that protect income security and job security," said UAW President Dennis Williams. "By standing strong and united, we secured better pay, a clear path to traditional wages for all current members and commitments to keeping jobs and product here. As is the UAW's process, our membership makes the final decision and we look forward to the discussion ahead."

• The details of the Tentative Agreement include the following gains for UAW-GM members:
  • Traditional Employees: All traditional members will receive a 3% wage increase for the first year, 4% lump sum in the second year, 3% wage increase in the third year, and 4% lump sum for the last year. Traditional employees will receive an $8,000 signing bonus upon ratification.
  • In-Progression Employees: The bargaining committee secured a clear path for in-progression members to achieve traditional wages. All in-progression employees are moved to traditional health care plan. In-progression employees will receive an $8,000 signing bonus upon ratification.
  • Temporary Employees: The Tentative Agreement includes a lump sum payment of $2,000 for active, temporary employees who have worked at least 90 days prior to the effective date. Temporary employees will receive wage increases and a health care plan.
  • SAP of $60,000: The agreement includes a $60,000 bonus for up to 4,000 eligible production employees who retire between Feb. 1 and May 1, 2016, as determined under the normal and early retirement provisions of the national agreement.
  • Appendix "A" Rights: Appendix "A" rights will include in-progression employees with 2 years of seniority as well as eligible in-progression and traditional employees at GMCH, Davidson Rd. and Westchester
  For more information, visit www.uaw.org/contractsummary.

"This is a strong, transformative agreement which gives all workers and their families wage increases and job security," said UAW Vice President Cindy Estrada told WWJ.